I am planning on moving to Finland this summer to live with my Finnish girlfriend. We've been together for 2 years and I've visited her many times over the course of those 2 years.
I'm fresh out of college so to speak, so I have a somewhat educated background. She will start studying after summer and I would start looking for a job in Finland and also a few months before the move I will be contacting Finnish companies about jobs. My question really boils down to whether I have my facts straight, whether I'm going about this the right way and what you guys would estimate my chances of being accepted as a resident?

So the plan is as follows;
1. Fly to Finland and register my presence at the police station.
2. Apply for an Identity Number from the Maistraatti.
3. Apply for Kela card / coverage with said number.
4. Register at the TE-Palvelut as seeking a job and trying to get help from them in that process. I'm hoping they'll refer me to some sort of language course or integration course.
5. Hopefully find a job.
5. When I feel like my situation in Finland is somewhat secure (though within 3 months), apply for a right of residence at the police station.

If I don't find a job within those three months, is there still a good chance I will get a right of residence based on, for example, the fact that I'm actively seeking a job and that I'm cohabitating with a Finnish citizen in stable, familial relationship?
Can I expect any kind of help, financial or otherwise, before I get my right of residence?
What are my chances of finding work? Bearing in mind that I will accept pretty much anything that comes my way.

EU citizen moving to Finland

If I don't find a job within those three months, is there still a good chance I will get a right of residence based on, for example, the fact that I'm actively seeking a job and that I'm cohabitating with a Finnish citizen in stable, familial relationship?

As far as I've been told you can't get a right of residence. If you have been officially living with your girlfriend for some time in any country, that could be a reason - but you have to have papers to prove it. Some people quote 6 months, but on official things I only saw 2 years as needed time. Other than a job or study place, you can only apply for residency if you have 12k eur savings (they count it as about 1k per month, and then for the period of 1 years).

What is your education? Seems to be relevant for your question

Also, for language learning - tough luck, waiting time is over 6 months (my friend is in the process). I'm not sure if you can even get on the waiting list before you have the right to reside here

JK_Ironak wrote:
As far as I've been told you can't get a right of residence. If you have been officially living with your girlfriend for some time in any country, that could be a reason - but you have to have papers to prove it. Some people quote 6 months, but on official things I only saw 2 years as needed time. Other than a job or study place, you can only apply for residency if you have 12k eur savings (they count it as about 1k per month, and then for the period of 1 years).

Did you take into account that I am a EU citizen? I haven't been able to find the requirement of having 12k in savings anywhere.

JK_Ironak wrote:
What is your education? Seems to be relevant for your question

I have two first year university of applied sciences degrees, one in psychology and one in law. Currently I'm finishing up a full diploma at a vocational institute to be a legal assistent, or paralegal if you will. Though I am willing to take pretty much any kind of job. I have experience working in a supermarket for 6 years, I've worked a summer cleaning job and I'm currently doing an internship at a mortgage broker. I'm 22 if that's of any importance.

JK_Ironak wrote:Also, for language learning - tough luck, waiting time is over 6 months (my friend is in the process). I'm not sure if you can even get on the waiting list before you have the right to reside here

LockHowl wrote:
I am planning on moving to Finland this summer to live with my Finnish girlfriend. We've been together for 2 years and I've visited her many times over the course of those 2 years.
I'm fresh out of college so to speak, so I have a somewhat educated background. She will start studying after summer and I would start looking for a job in Finland and also a few months before the move I will be contacting Finnish companies about jobs. My question really boils down to whether I have my facts straight, whether I'm going about this the right way and what you guys would estimate my chances of being accepted as a resident?

LockHowl wrote:
If I don't find a job within those three months, is there still a good chance I will get a right of residence based on, for example, the fact that I'm actively seeking a job and that I'm cohabitating with a Finnish citizen in stable, familial relationship?

On the basis mentioned, no.

LockHowl wrote:
Can I expect any kind of help, financial or otherwise, before I get my right of residence?

Financially only emergency help to get you back to your source country.

I have two first year university of applied sciences degrees, one in psychology and one in law. Currently I'm finishing up a full diploma at a vocational institute to be a legal assistent, or paralegal if you will.

You realize that excellent Finnish is required for jobs in those fields. So your job market will be unskilled labour for the first ... years. After that your skills are outdated and you have to build them up from the ground.
Try to get into a vocational study. It will help with your language and gives you a better chance at the job market.

If you can't get job after 4 months then you lady is going to bite you. Yes, majority of Finnish ladies tend to play nice and sweet while living abroad but as soon as they are back to Finland with their foreign prey (you in this case), they tend to get "Finnish". It will be her society and her backyard. People are going to ask her about you and your career. She will be in pressure and who is going to be the target of her rage and frustration?... yes. You! This will continue for a few months, and then sooner or later a stunt dick will come in the picture. Just search this forum. Successful foreign/finnish relationship abroad tend to become unsuccessful and sad story after a few months here.

Try to get into a vocational study. It will help with your language and gives you a better chance at the job market.

Best advice anyone has given. Get yourself a degree - if you want to live in Finland permanently then sooner or later you are going to realise that you need an education. Also, it's a great place to network which is the best way of finding a job.

You've missed the deadline for most of the university bachelors degrees for 2016 but some places start degree programmes in January. Get a move on, while it's still free for EU students.

I am an Eu citizen myself but I cannot even open my own bank account when I arrived here. I ended up hiding my cash under my pillow for few months until I got a job, therefore a salary, only then I could open a bank account.

Without legally living with your girlfriend for 2 years, you not considered a family member. You can check in your country about transferring your unemployment to Finland. You do not qualify for integration course because even if you register your rights here, you are practically like a tourist. If you want to learn Finnish you have to pay for it yourself.

JK_Ironak wrote:
As far as I've been told you can't get a right of residence. If you have been officially living with your girlfriend for some time in any country, that could be a reason - but you have to have papers to prove it. Some people quote 6 months, but on official things I only saw 2 years as needed time.

Six months is part of Kela determination evidence. Aliens Act has two years.

JK_Ironak wrote:
Other than a job or study place, you can only apply for residency if you have 12k eur savings (they count it as about 1k per month, and then for the period of 1 years).

For EU registration, it's illegal to use predefined limits. All cases must be processed individually. If girlfriend is providing accommodation, then less than 12k could suffice.

intern101 wrote:
I am an Eu citizen myself but I cannot even open my own bank account when I arrived here. I ended up hiding my cash under my pillow for few months until I got a job, therefore a salary, only then I could open a bank account.

A bank account is a legal right for every resident. However, they are not required to give you online banking (I think the EU is planning to change this). The magic term to ask for is "peruspankkipalvelut."

intern101 wrote:
Without legally living with your girlfriend for 2 years, you not considered a family member. You can check in your country about transferring your unemployment to Finland. You do not qualify for integration course because even if you register your rights here, you are practically like a tourist. If you want to learn Finnish you have to pay for it yourself.

Every resident jobseeker is entitled to an integration plan. Whether it includes integration course is up to the officials.

The answers have taken that into account. If somebody is in your situation and outside of the EU the chances of settling in Finland (without marriage, or on basis of studying) are practically non-existent. You have a wrong impression of the rights of an EU-citizen. You have the right to settle anywhere within the EU - with your own money and health insurance. You have the right to work anywhere in the EU - in case you can find any work.

People are right that you should get better education, but at the same time it should be something the labour market actually needs. Otherwise you will be at the same point again after studying, a bit better educated, but in competition with an army of Finnish people, but without being a native speaker. So you have to choose wisely! In what area are your interests?

Learning Finnish as fast as possible will be the key for you. You will have to finance the courses yourself, but then there are a lot to choose from out there, many not even that expensive. But you really have to invest quite some time into that.

And if you progress fast then it will also be good for your relationship. Your Finnish girlfriend will see, that at least something moves and improves, and be less unhappy that she has to explain to her girlfriends that her British boyfriend still has no job.

I have basically the same problem. I'm graduating university, master's degree in pharmacy and I wanna move in with my Finnish fiance. I wanted to get into the integration process too, my savings are not great, around 4k only. I'm looking for work, and I'm coming to Finland by the end of June to try to look for work more, personally, etc...
I'm also a citizen of an EU country. I don't understand a lot of things. It says everywhere that I don't need a residency permit as a citizen of EU but after three months I have to register my stay at the police office. I kinda get it but the registering thing is something else than the residency permit? (yeah, I don't really get it )

Do those waiting lists vary in different municipalities? I'd wanna try my luck finding jobs in pharmacies around Tampere. Any of you have any kind of info or experiences ?

I have basically the same problem. I'm graduating university, master's degree in pharmacy and I wanna move in with my Finnish fiance. I wanted to get into the integration process too, my savings are not great, around 4k only. I'm looking for work, and I'm coming to Finland by the end of June to try to look for work more, personally, etc...
I'm also a citizen of an EU country. I don't understand a lot of things. It says everywhere that I don't need a residency permit as a citizen of EU but after three months I have to register my stay at the police office. I kinda get it but the registering thing is something else than the residency permit? (yeah, I don't really get it )

Do those waiting lists vary in different municipalities? I'd wanna try my luck finding jobs in pharmacies around Tampere. Any of you have any kind of info or experiences ?

You don't say whether you speak Finnish or not. If you don't, it is very very unlikely that you will find a job and impossible in a pharmacy where it is crucial to be able to communicate in Finnish.

Residency permit is for non-EU nationals. But you need to register in order to get an ID number (henkilötunnus) and without that, you can't do anything (except the things that tourists would do: spend money in restaurants, take photos, visit museums).

TheEeyra wrote:It says everywhere that I don't need a residency permit as a citizen of EU but after three months I have to register my stay at the police office. I kinda get it but the registering thing is something else than the residency permit? (yeah, I don't really get it )

Would it help you to get it if I told you that us Finns must also register our moves if it is for over 3 months?